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I. THERE IS A DECREASE GOING ON IN THE CHURCH OF GOD ON EARTH. Zion is represented here as mourning for the children that she had lost. The Jewish Church in the olden times saw her sons and daughters slain with the sword, or carried away captive. Afterwards, she saw the great majority of the nation refusing Christ, and turning away from Him, and thus the Jewish Church was minished and brought very low. The same thing has happened in many other eases. We must naturally expect to see, in each separate Church of Jesus Christ, a certain process and measure of decrease.

1. Some are being drafted from us to supply the choirs of heaven with fresh minstrelsy.

2. Each separate Church will also have a measure of decrease through the removal of God's servants from one place to another.

3. There is another source of decrease over which we must greatly grieve, and that is the backsliding of many professor.

4. The sifting process by which the chaff is removed from the wheat.

II. THERE IS AN INCREASE TO BE EXPECTED IN THE CHURCH OF GOD. There are new converts yet to come in, these children which Zion is to have, after she has lost the others.

1. These new converts are needful No Church can be healthy without the constant in. fusion of fresh blood.

2. Therefore, she ought to have every preparation for their reception.

3. All who love the Lord should labour earnestly on their behalf.

4. When we are all pleading and labouring for an increase to the Church, it will come; and when it comes, it is probable that we shall be astonished at the number of those that come. "The children which thou shalt have," &c.

5. The next thing that was a subject for astonishment to Zion was how those converts came to be born at all "Who hath begotten me these?"

6. But what Zion wondered at next was, how they had been nurtured, for she says, "Who hath brought up these?"

7. A further cause of wonder was, the sudden appearance of this great increase. Zion inquires, "These, where had they been?" Shall I tell you where they had been? Some of them had been in godly families with fathers and mothers praying for them. Some of them had been in the Sunday school, in crosses where brethren and sisters love their children, and never rest till they bring them to decision for Christ. They had been under the influence of Christian wives, Christian children, sometimes Christian brothers and sisters; and so, at last, the gracious influence took effect upon them, by the power of God's Spirit, and out they came. There are great numbers still under those sacred influences, for they also are sure to come in due time, and say, "We are on the Lord's side." Then there were some others. "Where had they been?" They had long been listening to the Gospel, regularly sitting in their pews. But there were others about whom I might well ask, "These, where had they been?" On the Lord's day, at home in their shirt-sleeves; on week-nights, at the theatre or the music-hall, finding enjoyment in the lowest form of amusement. "Where had they been?" Never troubling church or chapel; but God, in His providence, brought them for once to hear the Word, and, as one said to me, "I laid hold of something, and something laid hold of me, and I shall never part with it, for it will never part with me." "These, where had they been?" I cannot tell you where they had all been; some had been at death's dark door, buried in sorrow and in sin, in poverty and in vice.

III. ALL THINGS SHOULD ENCOURAGE THE CHURCH TO SEEK LARGER INCREASE.

1. There is the same power to convert ten thousand as there is to convert one.

2. We ought to be encouraged by the fact that the converts come in answer to prayer.

3. Further, since the converts come from all sorts of places, let us carry the Gospel into all sorts of places.

( C. H. Spurgeon.)

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KJV: The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell.

WEB: The children of your bereavement shall yet say in your ears, The place is too small for me; give place to me that I may dwell.